A new dual‐porosity model is developed for single‐phase fluid flow in fractured/porous media. Flow is assumed to take place through the fracture network and between the fractures and matrix blocks. The matrix blocks are treated in a lumped parameter manner, with a single average pressure used for each matrix block. Rather than assuming that fracture/matrix flux is proportional to the difference between the fracture pressure and matrix pressure at each point, as is done in the Warren‐Root model, we use a nonlinear equation which more accurately models the flux over all time regimes, including both early and late times. This flux equation is compared with analytical solutions for spherical blocks with prescribed pressure variations on their boundaries. The nonlinear flux equation is also used as a source/sink term in the numerical simulator TOUGH. The modified code allows more accurate simulations than the conventional Warren‐Root method, with a large savings (about 90%) in computational time compared to methods which explicitly discretize the matrix blocks.

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Modeling of heat extraction in Enhanced Geothermal Systems is presented. The study builds on recent studies on the use of directional wells to improve heat transfer between doublet injection and production wells. The current study focuses on the influence of fracture orientation on production temperature in deep low permeability geothermal systems, and the effects of directional drilling and separation distance between boreholes on heat extraction. The modeling results indicate that fracture orientation with respect to the well-pair plane has significant influence on reservoir thermal drawdown. The vertical well doublet is impacted significantly more than the horizontal well doublet.